How to be a Mermaid (The Cotton Candy Quintet #1)(35)

“Finn giving it to Kai.”

“Yes. It’s a dangerous mission every time he goes out to save a sea creature. I’m sure you saw his scars.”

“He told me he got it saving his mother.” I wrung my hands at the thought.

“Yes,” Nereia said. “And that’s not the only time he’s been injured. And it’s even more dangerous when he has to go on land. Death isn’t the worst thing that could happen to him. He could be spotted, or worse, caught.”

Her words confirmed what I’d been feeling all along. It really was too dangerous for Finn to go out on land. If I hadn’t spotted him when he was trying to save Kai, it could have been someone else. Or a security camera. If not at the Houston Aquarium, another place that had cameras pointed at the tanks. Oceanus was concerned about me spilling the beans about the merfolk culture, but at any point, Finn could be on the cover of The World Enquirer and the search would be on for a real life mermaid.

“I know,” I whispered, feeling the flush in my cheeks. “I know it’s dangerous.”

She swam up closer to me and looked me deep in my eyes. “And with the stakes higher than ever, we would lose both Kai and Finn, and Levi’s deadline would be up.”

A thought occurred to me then, and it twisted my insides.

“Is this is why you turned me into a merwalker?” I asked.

She sagged slightly, defeated. “Not completely,” she admitted. “I would have turned you into a merwalker regardless, because it’s who you are. Please believe me.” Her gaze met mine, and she searched my face. “I’m begging you, please help.”

I swallowed and turned my gaze to Ponce, who was watching me expectantly. He’d been by my side throughout this entire ordeal, even though he started out as an innocent passerby who just gave a lost girl directions. His world depended on so many things at the moment.

And then there was Finn. Scarred Finn, who threw himself into the role of a protector, even to his detriment. I thought about everything he’d done for his people and world, and it made my insides twist with worry.

Even if I did help out, there would be a lot of risk, even for me. But could I really stand by when both of my worlds were at risk? When I was the reason why this hadn’t been sorted sooner? When a baby dolphin refused to even eat because he missed his mother?

“What do you want me to do?”

***

“Are you sure you want to come along, Ponce?” I asked the snapper as we got ready to leave the cell. Nereia and I had discussed what we needed to do to get Oceanus’s permission to deliver the potion. And then there was the matter of Finn who would want to do it himself, regardless of the risk. It was dangerous.

But it was a risk I was willing to take to save everyone. It was going to be awkward when I saw him next.

Ponce wouldn’t have it “If you think that I would abandon you, then you’ve got another thing coming. I’m sticking with you.”

He also glanced nervously at the sharks guarding my cell as Nereia opened the door and swam by. He was a ball of energy, yet I appreciated his help.

“She’s with me, boys,” Nereia called to the guards. “No need to get yourself tangled in a net.” She then cackled like the sea witch she was.

The sharks moved back as we passed, and one grinned menacingly at me. It wasn’t a comforting thought.

“Thanks,” I told her as we moved through the corridors up to the first level of the palace. Now that I was completely changed into a mermaid, no one batted an eye at me. In fact, it seemed like they were all avoiding Nereia. She apparently had a reputation that she wasn’t afraid to embrace.

“For what, sweetie?”

Yet she didn’t act liked a crazed person.

“For doing everything to save my people.” As I said that, I didn’t know if I meant mers or humans.

Nereia confirmed it for me. “You’re going to save both of your people.” She turned to look at me, her expression both wistful and sad. “It’s going to come down to you.”

I caught the significance of her emphasis on the word “both”. I might not be used to the idea, but I did know that I didn’t want anything happening to either the sea or the surface.

“I didn’t expect to see you out of the prison, Tara,” another voice said, interrupting our discussion.

My heart pounded as I turned to see Finn lounging in a depression of the walls. His sea green eyes found only mine, and he offered me a secret smile. All I wanted was to feel his lips against mine again, but then I felt awkward at the idea of what I was going to do.

Nereia instantly brightened. “Ah, nephew!” she cried, holding out an arm for a hug. “I’ve been worried about you! Where have you been?”

He pushed himself off the wall and paddled over towards us. I could feel the blush heat my body with every inch he moved closer. He gave his aunt a one-armed hug, although I could tell that he was keeping an eye on me.

“I’ve been learning things,” he said vaguely, which just made my cheeks blush even more.

Nereia looked at him, frowning slightly before wrapping him up in another hug. “I’m just glad that you’re safe.”

“For now,” Finn said honestly, meaning it as a joke, but none of us took it that way.

I shivered at the thought of him being on display in an aquarium, unable to leave, unable to be understood by anyone.